OncoLink - Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania

In the spring of 1995, I was invited to participate in a public art competition to build an entryway to a medical center. My work was accepted. During this time, I was diagnosed with Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. I selected treatment programs, surgeons and a partial neck resection to find any additional tumors.The two events became inextricably linked. Each visit to a medical facility for diagnosis, biopsy, X-ray and surgery became an experience of the facility itself.

Bench for Friends was created to share with someone. It embodies the idea of "healing the mind and body." While dealing with cancer, it was necessary to marshal the collective strength of friends to prepare for what was to come.